Mail-marking machine.



No. 694,850. Patented Mar. 4,1902,

J. 'FBENBH. v

MAIL MARKING MACHINE.

(Application flied Feb. 16, 1900.)

4 Sheets-Sheet. L

(No Modei.)

Invent? 7".- Jz; M A WAX-mm Wain/65565:

72/65 0 725150 r'ne e.

. Puoiauma. max-Momma, c,

No. 694,850. V. Patented Mar. 4, 1902.-

v J. FBENGH.

MAIL MARKING MACHINE.

(Application filed. Feb. 16 900) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B a Witnesses: V V Inventor w @M his cfliorneys- THz mums rz'rz ns co. marou'mon WASHINGTON. n. c

No. 694,850. Patented Man 4, 902.

J. FRENCH.

MAIL MARKING MACHlNE,

(Application filed Feb. 16, 1900.] {No Modai.) I 4Sheats-Sheet 3.

.wbtnesse's" I In0en'07:*

5y mm mcxmm his o izforne No. 694,850. Patented Mar. 4, I902.

J. FRENCH.

MAIL MARKING MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 16, 1900.\

(No Model.) I 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Witnesses: x Ina 62125031;-

* ywm mmmw has czQttornfiy-s UNITED STATES PATENT ()rr cnl JOSEPH FRENCH, OF WOONSOGKET, RHODE ISLAND.

MAIL-MARKING: MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,850, dated March 4, 1902. Application and February 18,1900. Serial No. 5,410. on model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH FRENCH, acitizen of the United States, residing at Woonsocket, in the county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have invented a certain new and useful Improvemen t in Mail-Markin g Machines, of which the following is a specifica- Lion, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention will first be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one" form or embodiment thereof, and afterward will be defined with respect to its essential characteristics in the claims at the close of this specification.

vIn the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same looking from the left in Fig.1. Fig. l isan end elevation looking from the rightin Fig.

. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail plan of the pusher-operating cam and arm. Fig. 6 is a detail plan of the ink-roll and its operating-cam. Fig. '7

is a detail plan of the retainer and its cam. Fig. 8 is an enlargedplan view of the supplystack and adjacent mechanism.

While I have termed my device a mail marking machine and while I have illustrated and described a machine especially. adapted in its minor features of construction to handle cards, it is not in its main features limited to that use nor to the rnarking'of mail as distinguished from other forms of printing.

The operative parts of the machine are shown as mounted on a table 1-, the actuatingshaft 2 being supported beneath the table and having suitable connections with the parts above the same. Such connections are indicated at 3 and 4 in they form of bevel-gears, which mesh with bevel-pinions 5 and 6, respectively. The shaft may be driven either by power or byhand, a'crank 7 for the latter mode of operation being indicated in Figs. 2 and i. The bevel-pinion 6 is fast upon the lower end of the sleeve 8, which carries a disk 9 above the table on itsupper end. The sleeve 8 rotates on a stud (not visible in the drawings) affixed by a nut 811 to the bottom ofa box or depression 825, attached to the under side of the table and containing the bevelpinion 6. The disk 9 has an eccentric-pin 10,

on which is journaled one end of apitman l1,

' extent of outward the'other end of which latter is journaled upon a pin l2 on a feed-slide 13, whereby the feedslide is constantly reciprocated in a horizontal direction when the machine is in operation. The feed-slide runs in ways 14, Fig. 3, in a fixed backing-plate 14:1, disposed vertically and firmly secured by screws 30 30 to the table. The feed-slide is retained in the ways by the head of a screw 142, which passes through a slotl43 in the backing-plate and enters a hole tapped in the rear face of the feed-slide. The pin 12 is shown as mounted upon a lug 15 on the feed-slide, extending rearward through a slot 16 in the backing-plate.

The packet of cards or other mail-matter to be canceled is stacked in front of the backing-plate and feed-slide, as shown at 17 in Figs. 1,' 3, and 8, and is pressed against the feed-slide by a follower 18. The follower 18 has legs 20, which rest on the upper surface of the table, one of which legs is shown in Fig. 3.

22 upon a sliderod 23, running through holes in ears 24' 24, depending from The follower extends downward I 'througha slot 21 in the table and'is fixed by. a set-screw the table. A spiral spring 25 connects the follower with one of the cars 24 and serves to cause the follower to press with considerable force upon the stack of cards 17 and hold them flat and in position to be properly fed one by one to the canceling mechanism.

A feeding-shoulder on the feed-slide is constituted by a dog 26 set into the same. The

dog 26 is held at one vertical edge by rivets 27, which allow it a slight play, thereby act ing as a hinge, and at the other vertical'edge by an adjusting-screw 28, which regulates its movement, while a spiral spring (indicated at 29) is confined between the dog and the feed-slide, being let into a recess in the latter. When the dog in the retraction of the feed-slide has'cleared the stack of cards, it springs out sufficiently to catch the rear edge of the foremost card in its returner forward movement and-feed it to the canceling mechanism.

The cards in the stack 17 rest upon ways or rails 31 31 on the table and are confined between a horizontal rod 32, extending rearward from a post 33 on the table at the left, terminating just clear of the face of the feedtoo slide, and a side plate 34 at the right fixed to the table by screws 341 342. The side plate 34 terminates sufficiently forward of the plane of the backing-plate 141 to form one side of a throat 35, through which the cards are successively fed by the feed-slide. The opposite side of the throat 35 is formed by an adjustable throat-plate 36.

The throat-plate 36 is supported upon the rear face of the backing-plate 141 and extends around its right-hand end, as the machine is viewed in Fig. 1. Suitable means are provided for adjustably limiting the ex tent of the forward motion of the throat plate and for holding it yieldingly in its forward position, so that it will normally maintain only a sufficient opening of the throat 35 to permit the passage of a single thickness of card. If, however, the opening of the throat 35 requires to be momentarily enlarged to admit somewhat more than the ordinary thickness of card, as where any portion of the card being fed is roughened, torn, or otherwise thickened, the throat-plate'will yield and allow such extra thickness to pass. To this end I have provided the throat-plate with upper and lower set screws 38 38, which make contact with the rear face of the backing-plate 141. Furthermore, a screw-threaded pin 381 projects from the backing-plate, passing loosely through a hole in the throatplate, and on this pin a milled nut 382 turns, a spiral spring 383 being confined between the nut and the throat-plate, whereby the setscrews 38 are held in yielding contact with the backing-plate. The set-screws 38 38 enable the normal width of the said throat, at the top and bottom thereof, respectively, to be regulated or varied independently.

The rear end of the throat plate 36 is extended across the rear face of the backingplate and carries a pin 367, entering a'corresponding recess 368 in-the backing-plate. As is more clearly shown in Fig. 8, the recess 368 extends nearly through the thickness of the backing-plate 141 and is of greater diameter than the stem of the pin 367 and has a hollowed or hemispherical bottom. The end 369 of the pin'367 is enlarged to fit this hollowed bottom, which therefore forms a bearing on which the pin may rock freely during the yielding motion of the throat-plate. The latter, as will be perceived from the foregoing description, rests normally on three points of contact-namely, the two set-screws 38 38 and the pin 367-and is yieldingly held in this position by the spring 383, whose tension is adjusted accurately by the milled nut 382. When the passage of a thick or thickened card occurs, the throat-plate is caused to yield, and either its upper portion or its lower portion is capable of yielding without the whole throat-plate being bodily displaced, the end 369 of the pin 367 in every case rocking in contact with the bottom of the recess 368. Thus with the least possible extent of motion and with the least possible friction the throatplate is permitted to accommodate itself to inequalitiesinthe card being fed and at the same time to prevent more than one card from passing at a time. It will be noted that the point of contact of the pin 367 with the bottom of the recess 368 is brought as nearly as possible into the same plane as the operative end of the throat-plate, sothat the motion of the latter around the said point of contact as a universal pivot is as nearly as possible directly backward from the opposing surface of the side plate 34. The entire construction permits the throat-plate to perform its functions under a minimum tension of the spring 383.

For the especial purpose of enabling the machine to handle cards varying greatly in thickness,which, however, is not the case with ordinary mail cards, the side plate 34 is formed, as shown most clearlyin Fig. 8, with a bevel 341 on that portion of its side face immediately adjacent to the throat 35. I have determined that a certain degree of bevel can be employed which will assist in properly feeding to the throata very thick card, at the same time preventing two very thin cards from passing through the throat at one time. A materially greater degree of bevel permits two very thin cards to be fed together in some cases, while a materially smaller degree of bevel obstructs the passage of a very thick card. I have determined that the proper degree of bevel to secure the desired result is about thirty degrees to the plane of the lefthand side of the side plate or sixty degrees to the plane of the cards being fed. Some variation from this precise angle may of course be made without materially impairing the function of the bevel.

The follower 18 is provided on the face thereof next to the stack of cards 17 with a fixed plate 181 and a yielding plate 182, the former being opposite the feed-slide l3 and the latter opposite the throat-plate 36. The yielding plate 182 is maintained normally in an intermediate position, from which it may be either advanced or retracted. Specifically in the drawings it is shown as of less thickness than the fixed plate 181 and is hinged at the edge nearest the latter, as by loosely-fitting screws 183, which allow its free end a limited amount of play toward and from the follower. A spiral spring 184 is confined between the plate 182 and the follower, preferably being let partly into a recess 185 in the latter. Thefspring 184 is weaker than the spring 383 of the throat-plate.

The left-hand end of the stack 17 is pressed upon strongly by the fixed plate 181 under the whole tension of the spring 25, attached to the follower, and therebythe rear edge of the foremost card in the stack is held perfectly flat in position to be properlyengaged in the advance of the feed-dog 26.

When the follower is in its normal position, compressing a stack 17'of uncaneeled cards against the feed-slide and throat-plate, the yielding plate 182 normally stands at a slight angleaway from the follower, as shown TIO ere

of the stack and causing the entire right-hand edge of the leading'card of the stack to make close contact with the throat-plate and to be fed properly through the throat to the cancelingmechanisin. In case, however, from any cause the thickness of' the'entirestack should be greatest at the right hand end thereof-as, for instance, by the presence somewhere in the stack of one or more cards somewhat roughened, torn, or crumpled at that e'nd -ther'e would bea tendency of the throat-plate to yield to accommodate such additional thickness, and ifithe throat plate yielded the throatinight be so much enlarged as to allowthepassageof two cards at once irrespective of the presence or absence of the bevel 84:1, thereby either damaging the cards or feeding the second one thr ou'gh the can-1 celing' mechanism in an unc'a'nceled condjtion. The yielding plate 182 preventsthis contingencyfrom occurring, since it'yields' before'the throat-plate yields! 0n thefoth'er. hand, the opjpo'site'motion of the yielding,

plate 182 away from the follower takes place when the cards are being normally fed each time such feeding o ccursthat is to say, each time alcard is completely withdrawn from the stack through the throat35 the right-hand end of the stack is pressedupinto close con-. tact with the throat-plate by thepressure of the yielding plate'l82.' The latter thus insuresthe proper presentation of the right hand edge of each card to the throat 35 up tov the very last'card of the stack.

When a cardjis fed forward throughthe throat 35, it is seized by a canceling-cylinder and is drawn completely out from thestack- 17, being at the same time canceled. The

canceling-cylinder'is thus adapted to draw.

forward the cardthat is being canceled and prevents it fro xn'advancing at'adifferent rate of speed from the surfacespeed of the can celing-cylinder, which might be the case if other means than the cylinder itself were re lied upon' to performthe feeding function and which might cause acard to buckle and tear. This modeof feeding also leavesthe. feed-slide 13 free to begin its 'retraction'as soon as the forward edge of the card has been engaged by the canceling-cylinder, allowing.

a slowerand smoother retractio'n o'f the feedslide within a given period of time.

The canceling-cylinder meunted ojn the upper end-of a sleeve 43, on thelowerend of,

which is fixed the beveled .pinion fi, already mentioned, which derives motion from the" The sleeve 43 rotates on a stud i i shaft 2. g k I V g I afiixed by a nut 45-10 the bottom of abox e6,

attached beneath the table and containing} the bevel-pinion fi." 47 is an idle roller, preferably covered with rubber, as at 48,rotating on a stud 49, affi xed to the table and being positioned in contact with the canceling-cylinder at a point directly opposite'the throat 35, whereby the card fed through thethroat enters'the bite of thecanceding-cylinder and idle rollerand is thereafter drawn through them, beingcanceledduring its passagesv The'canceling-cylinder is in twoparts 50 and 51 the former being at a height to draw forward the upper portion of the. card and perform the canceling operation, While the .7

lower part 51 draws forward the lower portion H Y the cylinder which draws forward the card prior to its cancellation is corrugated or other-- The canceling of'the card; .That portion of each part of wise roughened, as at 52.

stamp occupies any required portion-ofthe remainder of theupper part of the cylinder. The cancelingstamp is inked by a roller 55.

The latter ismouhted to revolve loosely on the upper portion of a post 56, attached to the outer en'dof, an arm 57, projecting-from a ,sleeve58, which is journaled upon a vertical pin '59, affixedto the table. From-the post .56 projects an arm 60, having a friction-roll 6 1, which bears against-a cam 62, affixedto the sleeve 43 between the upper and lower 1 portions ofthe eancelingreylinder. (See-more particularly Fig. 6.) The inlrrroller is pressed inwardby a spring 63, which is. attached to one end to an arnijfie, projecting from the sleeve 58, and at the other end to a ipost 65. on the table; The action of the cam 62 is to 'heldjthe ink-roller out of contact withthe canceling cylinder, encept during thectime ,whenthe canceling-stamp is passingunderlit.

WhenTthe card has beenfed completely past the pointof contact between .the canceling- IOO cylinder and the idle roller 4A, it comes under the action of the pusher 66. Tntgtemhd end of thelatterhas two slets 67 6 71, loosely i :through which pass,frespectively, ;screws 68 'and 681, which screw-into the upper end of a bracket 69, affi xed to the table. The pusher isof somewhat irregular outline inplan. It is supported at its rear end on a pin-70, which projects vertically upward from; an arm 71,- the latter extending outward vfrom a-sleeve 72, which is journaled on a studf73, aftinedto,

the table. There isa projectien- 74,01; {the side of the arm 7l.nearest,the canceling-cy1- indenwhich isprovided with a roller Z 5. The latter bears against a cam 76 on the sleeve 43 below theilower. part 5Iof the c aneeling cylinder thereon The cam 76 is of such motionin carrying the card 9l 3 ,whichhas just;

jto retu rn under the retractile force of a suit-- bent or crumpled up. machine it is important that the original orable spring 761, one end of which is attached to a pin 762 on the pusher and the other end thereof to a pin 763 on the table of the machine, to a position somewhat farther back than that shown in Fig. 1, so that its front face is parallel with the direction of feed of the cards through the canceling mechanism and its left-hand end 78 is withdrawn into the annular recess between the upper and lower parts of the canceling-cylinder, so that it is impossible for the following card to pass back of the pusher in case it should be so bent as to curve backward after passing through the canceling mechanism.

In Fig. 2 the cards shown in Fig. 1 are omitted for the sake of clearness.

The stack of cards 77, which have been canceled,are compressed at their forward or righthand edges between a yielding plate 79 and the right-hand end of the pusher 66. The plate 79 is pivoted or hinged at its left-hand end upon screws 80 80 on a flange 81 of the side plate 34, springs 781 781 being confined on the said screws between the heads thereof and the plate 79 and pressing rearward the free end of the latter. 82 is anend guard attached to the bracket 69 and projecting forward far enough to retain the right hand edges of the cards in the stack 77 from lateral escape. 821 is a corresponding end guard at the left-hand end of the stack, its tongue or end projecting into an annular recess, (indicated at 822 in Fig.1 at mid-length of the idle roller 47.)

By compressing the cards only at their righthand edges I provide for permitting their left-hand edges to assume a somewhat spread or loose position, whereby the postmarksjust affixed and still moist are prevented from coming 01f on the backs of the contiguous cards in the stack. If, however, the cards in the stack 77 were allowed to spread sufficiently to come opposite the line of advance of the next card being canceled as it issues from the canceling'mechanism and while the pusher is in its most retracted position the said card would not take its place properly as the last one of the stack 77, but would either be inserted at some intermediate point in the stack or would strike against the edges of the cards already in the stack and become In some uses of the der of the cards be strictly preserved. Accordingly I provide a retainer 85 in connection with the pusher 66, so arranged as to press lightly against the left-hand end of stack 77 when the pusher is beingretracted and until the next card has been fed forward far enough to overlap that end of the stack. After this has occurred it is immaterial how far the cards of the stack spread at their lefthand edges, inasmuch as when they do spread they come in contact with the front face of the card being fed forward, and the latter is properly brought to its position as the rear card of the stack, no buckling or crumpling of any of the cards being possible. The retainer 85 is therefore so actuated that as soon as the card which hasjust been canceled has been fed forward far enough to overlap the cards already in the stack the retainer is allowed to retire out of the way of the incoming card to its original position fiush with the front face of the pusher 66. This position it retains during the ensuing forward movement of the pusher while the moving card 99 is being transferred into its place in the stack 77.

In order to actuate the retainer 85 in the manner just described, I pivot itonthe screw 86 on the pusher 66 and provide it with a slot 87, through which passes aguiding-screw 88, also inserted in the pusher. '(See more particularly Fig. 7.) The retainer has a tailpiece 90, which bears against a cam 91, which is placed on the sleeve 43 between the upper and lower parts of the canceling-cylinder, and, as will readily be understood, the contour of the cam is such as to cause the actuation of the retainer in the manner just described. The operative position of the retainer is partly indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The tailpiece 90 of retainer 85 is held in contact with cam 91 by a spring 851, connected with pins 852 852 on the pusher and retainer.

hat I claim is 1. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of canceling mechanism receiving and canceling the mail piece by piece, a pusher to stack the canceled pieces, a retainer working in a plane at right angles to the face of the stack, and means for causing said retainer to act against the face of the receiving-stack during the retraction of the pusher and to retire therefrom after the following piece of canceled mailhas overlapped the stack, substantially as described.

2. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a rotary canceling-cylinder and cooperating roller receiving and canceling the mail piece by'piece, a reciprocating pusher means cooperating with the roller to remove the canceled piece transversely out of line with the delivery of the canceling mechanism into a receiving-stack with the mail previously canceled, a retainer working in the same direction as said pusher, and means for causing said retainer to act against the face of the receiving-stack during the retraction of the pusher and to retire therefrom after the following piece of canceled mail has overlapped the stack, substantially as described.

3. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a rotary canceling-cylinder and cooperating roller receiving and canceling the mail piece by piece, a reciprocating pusher cooperating with the roller to remove the canceled piece out of line with the delivery of the canceling mechanism into a receiving-stack with the mail previously canceled, and a reciprocating retainer carried on the pusher,

nation of a rotary canceling-cylinder and co-:

operating roller receiving and canceling the mail piece by piece, a pusher and meanspto operate the same to place the rear edges of the successive pieces of mail in contact with the said codperating roller, whereby such roller is caused to move said edges transversely out of the way of following pieces of mail, and stacking means for receiving the canceled mail and stacking .it, substantially as described. Y 7

5. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a rotary canceling-cylinder and cooperating roller receiving and canceling the mail piece by piece, a pusher at the delivery side of said cylinder and roller mounted to move transversely with relation to the latter, and means to actuate the said pusher to press the rear edge of the advancing piece of mail transversely into contact with the surface of the roller, whereby the roller is caused to com plete the lateral shiftof the rear portion of said piece of mail, substantially as described.

'6. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a rotary canceling cylinder and cooperating roller receiving and canceling the mail piece by piece, the canceling-cylinder consisting of separated upper and lower parts, cams interposed between the said parts and rotating therewith, and stacking means for receiving the canceled mail and stacking it, operated through connections with the said cams, substantially as described.

7. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a rotary conceling-cylinder and cooperating roller receiving and canceling. the

mail piece by piece, thecanceling-cylinder consisting of separated upper and lower parts, cams interposed between the said parts and rotating therewith, a pusher' reciprocated through connections with one of the said cams to stack the canceled pieces, and a retainer reciprocated through connections with another of the said cams to advance with the pusher, to remain advanced against the receiving-stack'during theretraction of the cessively fed, a throat-plate forming the other side ofthelsaid throat, means to liold'the said throat-plate in place with yielding force, I

and anadjustiiig-screw todeterminethe nor mal position of the throat-plate substantially as described;

9. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a feed-slide against which one face of the supply-stack rests, a yielding follower exerting pressure upon the other face'of the said supply-stack, a throat-plate having the rear end thereof extended and mounted by a swiveling joint, the set-screws 38, 38, codperating with the said throat-plate,aud the spring for holding the throat-plate in normal'working position, substantially as described.

'10. In email-marking machine, the combi' nation of a feed-slide againstwhich one face of the supply-stack rests, a yielding follower exerting pressure upon the other face of the stack, a side plate forming one'side of a throat through which the pieces in the stack are successively fed, a yielding throat-plate forming the other side of the said throat, and against which the advance end of the stack rests, and a yielding plate on the follower pressing against the same end of the stack and compressing said end against the said yielding throat-plate, substantially as described.

11. In a mail-markingmachine, the combination of a feed-slide against which one'face of the supply-stack rests, a yielding follower exerting pressure upon the other face of the of the supply-stack rests, a yielding follower exerting pressure upon the olher face of'the stack, a fixed and rigid side plate forming one side of a throat through which the pieces in'the stack are to be successively fed and beveled substantially as described adjacent to' the throat, and a yielding throat-plate forming theother side of the throat, substantiallyas described. j Y 13.- In a mail-marking machine, the combination ofa backing-plate, a feed-slide reciprocating in ways thereon and againstw'hich one face of thesupply-stack rests, a yielding follower exerting pressure upon the other face of the stack, a side plate'forming one side of a throat through which thepieces in the stack are successively fed, and a yielding throat IIO of the stack, a side plate forming one side of a throat through which the pieces in the stack are successively fed, and a yielding throat-plate forming the other side of the said throat and supported on the backing-plate on a rear pivot and two forward contact-points whereby either the upper or lower portions of the throat-plate may yield independently, substantially as described.

15. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of canceling mechanism receiving and canceling the mail piece by piece, a reciprocating pusher to receive and stack the canceled pieces, a yielding plate compressing the stack only at the end thereof unoccupied by the postmarks previously affixed, and a retainer operating against the face of the stack during the retraction of the pusher to prevent an abnormal degree of spreading of the stack and retiring therefrom after the following piece of canceled mail has overlapped the stack, substantially as described.

16. In combination, the feeder to advance a card or the like edgewise, a side plate, a throat-piece having between the same and the said side plate a throat for the passage of 1'7. In combination, the feeder, the side plate, the end plate, the throat-piece having a rounded bearing on which it is adapted to rock in different planes, and means to adjust the said throat-piece to vary the width of the throat, substantially as described.

18. In combination the feeder, the side plate, the end plate, the throat-piece having a rounded bearing on which it is adapted to rock in different planes, and a spring tending to hold saidthroat-piece to its normal position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH FRENCH.

Witnesses:

'LEPINE HALL RICE,

OSCAR F. HILL. 

